Page 60 of Sweet Escape
Last time, I didn’t make it to her in time.
Last time she was barely fucking breathing, her body slumped over the steering wheel on the wrong side of the road.
Last time…
Last time I was too late.
I reverse out of my haphazard parking spot, pointing my truck toward the exit. My knuckles blanche against the steering wheel as I grip it tight, trying to calm my racing heart.
I’m just three minutes up the road when I see her, that tiny green car pulled off to the side, and Livie’s face illuminated by the soft glow of her phone screen. I pull up behind her and step out of the truck.
She startles at the slam of the door, and I quickly jog up alongside her, motioning for her to unlock the door. When she does, I rip it open and pull her to me, not stopping to ask any questions. I need to feel her in my arms, I need to know she’s okay.
I hold her to my chest, my frantic heartbeat settling as I stroke my hands over her body. I cling to her, breathing her in, reminding myself she’s okay.
“Wilder? What’s going on?”
“I thought… I don’t know what I thought. I was so fucking scared, Liv. I thought I was going to lose you.”
“Hey.” She pulls back, cupping my cheeks between her palms. “It’s just a breakdown, baby. I’m okay. We’re okay.”
The moment I set my eyes on her, the tension in my shoulders eases. I exhale a ragged breath. “I know I need to explain, but first I need to get you home safe.”
“Ok. Let’s go. I can call for a tow truck in the morning.”
She lets me help her into the passenger seat of my truck, her face awash with unspoken emotion. Before I can close the door, she leans in and gently kisses my lips. It’s a chaste kiss, but no less sweet.
“Thank you for coming,” she whispers.
I tuck a stray lock of her golden hair behind her ear, then rub my hand over her belly. “I’ll always come when you call.”
She doesn’t ask questions when I point the truck back the way I came, and I wonder if she’s somehow sensing my need to keep her close to me.
The drive back to the ranch is quiet. I catch Olivia drifting off to sleep more than once, my hand never leaving her thigh. When I pull up to the big house, she’s fast asleep. I head inside to check on Emmy, but Mama and Pops assure me they have things well in hand. When I tell them I have Olivia in the truck, they offer to keep Emmy overnight.
I say my goodbyes and thank them for the hundredth time before heading back outside. The soft glow of the moon and stars overhead illuminates the walkway. The weight of everything that’s transpired is heavy on my chest as I inhale a breath of fresh air, reminding myself she’s okay.
Olivia’s soft snores fill the cab as I meander down the dirt road back to my house. I’m about to put it in park in my usual spot, but Ichange my mind and make a right. I back the truck up near the falls, listening to the soft rushing of the water as it flows into the creek bed below.
Tonight has stirred up emotions long buried, memories I thought would die with Jess that still linger beneath the surface, waiting to bring me down into the pits of despair with them. Two years. I’ve been suffocating under the weight of my regrets for twolongyears, never fully allowing myself to feel the loss in a way that would let me move on from it.
Some days I wonder if I dreamed it all; maybe she’s still out there somewhere, living a full, happy life without me. Then I look at Emmy, and I know nobody could ever leave that little girl behind—not willingly. Not ever.
Olivia’s sleepy voice breaks into my quiet contemplation. “Wilder? Where are we?”
“We’re at the ranch.”
“Are you okay?” she asks, shifting in her seat to face me.
For the first time since I left that hospital without Jess, I tell the truth. “No.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, but I need to. You deserve to know what happened. You deserve to know why I reacted the way I did tonight. I just…”
She reaches out, placing her hand on my forearm. “It’s okay. Take your time.”
I step out of the truck and move around to her side, pulling open the passenger door. “Come with me.” I hold out my hand, and she takes it, letting me guide her to the back and help her onto the tailgate. I take a seat beside her and steel myself.
